Protective device



y 22, 1952 E. B. WHlTEHEAD PROTECTIVE DEVICE Filed Sept. 15, 1950 zzvmvrm Patented July 22, 1952 PROTECTIVE DEVICE Earl B. Whitehead, Norwich, Conn., assignor to Atlantic Carton Corporation, Norwich, Conn., a corporation of New York Application September 13, 1950, Serial No. 184,555

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in a protective device for use in connection with shipping containers and the like where fragile articles are shipped.

The invention relates generally to the construction of protective devices and particularly to a type of device adapted to embrace fragile articles and act as a shock absorber or cushion between an article and container therefor to protect them against injury or breakage.

The principal objects of my invention, generally considered, is an improved wrapping method and the provision of a simple carton accessory adapted to hold a fragile item therewithin whereby same may be safely carried.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a protective device formed from a single sheet of resilient material such as cardboard or like stock, substantially rectangular in outline and so cut and folded as to provide a device suitable for embracing a fragile item to be carried within a box or carton.

A still furtherobject is the provision of a novel method of packing fragile articles such as cylindrical tubes,'bottles, or jars, whereby material is saved and wrapping thereof facilitated.

All of the above objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangements of parts thereof, as will fully appear by a perusal of the description below and by various specific features which will be hereinafter set forth.

To the above cited and other ends and with the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the device of my invention in the unfolded or flat position;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevational view of the device of my invention in a partly folded position;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the device in the set up or folded position; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, I have shown an elongated strip of a resilient material, generally indicated by the numeral ID. The material may be cardboard or some other relatively inexpensive material which is bendable and resilient to the desired degree.

The member I0 is provided with an elongated body portion 12 and opposite longitudinal marginal edge portions M at the sides of the body portion [2.

The marginal edge portions M are foldable relative to the body portion 12 along a longitudinal fold line [6.

The strip I0 is bendable transversely on fold lines l3 for encircling an object. These may be score lines and in some cases may not be necessary- The strip I0 is provided with rows of longitudinally spaced slits 18 in the form of Vs which have their points disposed inwardly of the fold line IS. The V-shaped slots are directed towards one end of the strip l0 and have corresponding side portions intersecting the fold line I6 at [3. The slits l8 provide V-shaped tabs 20.

-It will be understood, of course, that the device of the invention may be provided with a single marginal edge portion along one side of the body portion or with a marginal edge portion on the opposite longitudinal edges of the body portion.

The marginal edge portions l4 are foldable or bendable to overlie longitudinal side portions of the body 12, to provide double thickness opposite edges l6.

As shown, the points of the tabs are all disposed inwardly of the fold line, that is they are within the body portion [2, and they all face in one direction towards one end of the strip as best shown in Fig. 1.

The opposite ends of the member m are adapted to facilitate their interlocking when the encircling form of the device is produced.

At one end of the member 10, V-shaped notches 22 are provided along the fold lines l6. As the marginal edge portions [4 are folded over and upon the body portion there are tongue members 23 and 23'.

At the opposite end of the member HI, an inset portion 24 is cut away from the body portion as shown in Fig. 1.

Upon forming the device for operational purposes, the tongue members 23 and 23' in adjacency with each other are receivable into the pocket formed by and between the inset 24 in the other end of the body portion and the folded over extremities 24' of the marginal edge portions.

When the marginal edge portion is folded along the fold line so as to overlie the body portion as shown in Fig. 2 and the strip is bent so as to embrace an object, the tabs 20 extend outwardly J; therefrom to provide resilient members as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The device of the invention is particularly adapted for encircling a round or cylindrical object such as a bottle although it will be understood that the device might be so formed as. to be adapted to embrace square or other many sided objects with equally effective results.

It will be noted that the folded over edge portions provide double thickness opposite edges thereby creating the desired stiffness to the edges. The V slits are so arranged as to provide the tabs and the folded over edges cause the tabs to project outwardly when the strip is shaped to encircle or embrace an object.

With the device about an article in a container, the tabs engage the side walls of the container and hold the article away from said walls. The tabs being yieldable or resilient they absorb shocks and thereby the device functions to protect the article against breakage or damage.

While in the form of the invention shown, upper and lower rows of slits are provided to form upper and lower rows of tabs, it may in some cases be desired to provide a single row of slits and tabs or plural rows of tab forming slits.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

' What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A protective shock absorbing device for surrounding an object comprising in combination, an elongated strip of resilient material having a longitudinal body portion and longitudinal side portions folded over onto the inner side of the body portion along longitudinal fold lines at opposite longitudinal sides of the body portion, opposite ends of said strip provided with interlocking means to hold the device in encircling relation about an object, said strip provided with transversely spaced longitudinal rows of relatively spaced tab forming slits in the form of Vs are spaced transversely of the body portion, the

body portion provided with transverse fold lines between inner ends of inner portions of the slits, all adapted and arranged whereby with the device in object encircling relation portions of the tabs between the longitudinal fold lines extend outwardly from the body portion and lie in planes substantially parallel to the plane of the body portions from which they extend.

2. A protective shock absorbing device for surrounding an object comprising in combination, an elongated strip of resilient material having a longitudinal body portion and longitudinal side portions folded over onto the inner side of the body portion along longitudinal-fold lines at opposite longitudinal sides thereof, opposite ends of said strip having interlocking means to hold the device in encircling relation about an object, said strip having arallel rows of relatively spaced tab forming slits with pointed outer ends disposed inwardly of the fold lines and having outer diverging portions extending into the side portions of said strip and having inner diverging portions extending in the body portion of said strip, the body portion having transverse fold lines between inner ends of inner portions of the slits, all adapted and arranged whereby with the device in object encircling relation portions of the tabs of the rows thereof between the longitudinal fold lines extend outwardly from the body portion.

t EARL B. WHITEHEAD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 272,910 Shellenberger Feb. 27, 1883 1,951,019 Hoffman Mar. 13, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date I 105,315 Germany Sept. 2, 1899 

